Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with BlackBerry, a biopic of sorts charting the rise and fall of the Og smartphone.
Glenn Howerton, who is up for a Gotham Award tonight, and Jay Baruchel star in the pic written by Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller sourced from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal.
Johnson directed BlackBerry, which scored strong reviews after its world premiere over the winter at the Berlin Film Festival. IFC Films released it in theaters in May.
The script centers on Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Howerton), who founded the Canadian company Research in Motion company to create and market the phone, among the first to have a keyboard and internet access. It became a power symbol in the hands of movers and shakers from Wall Street to Hollywood — until it wasn’t.
Johnson...
Glenn Howerton, who is up for a Gotham Award tonight, and Jay Baruchel star in the pic written by Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller sourced from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal.
Johnson directed BlackBerry, which scored strong reviews after its world premiere over the winter at the Berlin Film Festival. IFC Films released it in theaters in May.
The script centers on Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Howerton), who founded the Canadian company Research in Motion company to create and market the phone, among the first to have a keyboard and internet access. It became a power symbol in the hands of movers and shakers from Wall Street to Hollywood — until it wasn’t.
Johnson...
- 11/27/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Blackberry, the comedy-drama movie starring Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton as the two men responsible for the launch of the world’s first smartphone, will premiere on AMC next month, but there’s a twist. AMC announced today that Blackberry has been transformed into a three-part limited series.
Get ready to witness the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.#BlackBerry: The Limited Series premieres as a 3-night event starting November 13 on AMC and @AMCPlus. pic.twitter.com/2TfoxZK95w
— AMC TV (@AMC_TV) October 22, 2023
The feature-film version of Blackberry spanned two hours, but the series will include additional never-before-seen footage to stretch across three 60-minute episodes. While this may be an odd development, it could lead to more people watching the story. Although Blackberry received rave reviews from critics (98% on Rotten Tomatoes), it didn’t exactly blow up at the box office, grossing just $2.8 million worldwide on the $5 million budget.
Get ready to witness the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.#BlackBerry: The Limited Series premieres as a 3-night event starting November 13 on AMC and @AMCPlus. pic.twitter.com/2TfoxZK95w
— AMC TV (@AMC_TV) October 22, 2023
The feature-film version of Blackberry spanned two hours, but the series will include additional never-before-seen footage to stretch across three 60-minute episodes. While this may be an odd development, it could lead to more people watching the story. Although Blackberry received rave reviews from critics (98% on Rotten Tomatoes), it didn’t exactly blow up at the box office, grossing just $2.8 million worldwide on the $5 million budget.
- 10/23/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Matt Johnson, Glenn Howerton, Kelly Van der Burg, Laura Cilevitz, Martin Donovan, Saul Rubinek, Stephanie Moran | Written by Matt Johnson, Matthew Miller | Directed by Matt Johnson
Loosely adapting Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, director/co-writer Matt Johnson and producer/co-writer Matthew Miller bring to screen the story of how Blackberry went from a dominating brand in mobile phones to losing all presence in the market.
The story begins in 1996, with Research In Motion co-founders Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) hoping to secure financial backing for their idea, then known as the PocketLink. The unsuccessful pitch fails to interest executive Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), who dismisses the presentation in favour of his own underhanded aspirations. When he is instead fired, Jim offers his services to market and...
Loosely adapting Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, director/co-writer Matt Johnson and producer/co-writer Matthew Miller bring to screen the story of how Blackberry went from a dominating brand in mobile phones to losing all presence in the market.
The story begins in 1996, with Research In Motion co-founders Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) hoping to secure financial backing for their idea, then known as the PocketLink. The unsuccessful pitch fails to interest executive Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), who dismisses the presentation in favour of his own underhanded aspirations. When he is instead fired, Jim offers his services to market and...
- 10/9/2023
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
Exclusive: CAA has signed Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller, the filmmaker collaborators behind the acclaimed dramedy BlackBerry, which made its domestic premiere at SXSW after world premiering in competition at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
Co-written by Johnson and Miller, BlackBerry chronicles the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. Johnson stars opposite Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel in the film, based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, which Miller produced.
In Deadline’s review of the film released in the U.S. by IFC Films on May 12th, Pete Hammond wrote, “Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? I am here to tell you today’s world premiere Berlin Film Festival competition entry BlackBerry is all that and more.
Co-written by Johnson and Miller, BlackBerry chronicles the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. Johnson stars opposite Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel in the film, based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, which Miller produced.
In Deadline’s review of the film released in the U.S. by IFC Films on May 12th, Pete Hammond wrote, “Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? I am here to tell you today’s world premiere Berlin Film Festival competition entry BlackBerry is all that and more.
- 5/22/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In a rare weekend with fewer new studio wide releases, IFC Films had a one-two punch at the box office with Matt Johnson’s film BlackBerry grossing $473k nationwide in 450 theaters, for a U.S. per theater average of $1.05k and cracking the top ten on Friday. It will gross an estimated $740k in North America this weekend, with Elevation Pictures handling Canada.
This is the End’s Jay Baruchel is Mike Lazaridus, the brains behind BlackBerry with his laid back best friend and co-founder Douglas Fregin, played by Johnson. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Glenn Howerton is Jim Balsillie, the aggressive executive who catapulted the device to global domination for decades until is was abruptly unseated by the iPhone in 2007.
Premiering in Berlin and SXSW, certified Fresh at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s based on the book Losing the Signal by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff.
The...
This is the End’s Jay Baruchel is Mike Lazaridus, the brains behind BlackBerry with his laid back best friend and co-founder Douglas Fregin, played by Johnson. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Glenn Howerton is Jim Balsillie, the aggressive executive who catapulted the device to global domination for decades until is was abruptly unseated by the iPhone in 2007.
Premiering in Berlin and SXSW, certified Fresh at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s based on the book Losing the Signal by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff.
The...
- 5/14/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Never, ever underestimate the power of a glowering, growling Glenn Howerton.
It’s not like the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator hasn’t previously played someone who acts horrifically yet still keeps you on his side. (See: Every single episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Howerton is in.) Nor is it off-brand for the writer-actor-producer to take on a role in which he radiates that he’s better than the idiots and saps and suckers surrounding him, as fans of the late, great sitcom A.P. Bio can attest.
It’s not like the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator hasn’t previously played someone who acts horrifically yet still keeps you on his side. (See: Every single episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Howerton is in.) Nor is it off-brand for the writer-actor-producer to take on a role in which he radiates that he’s better than the idiots and saps and suckers surrounding him, as fans of the late, great sitcom A.P. Bio can attest.
- 5/13/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Editors note: This review was originally published February 17, 2023 after the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. It releases in theaters Friday.
Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? I am here to tell you today’s world premiere Berlin Film Festival competition entry BlackBerry is all that and more.
In the hands of co-writer (with Matthew Miller), director and co-star Matt Johnson (The Dirties), this long and winding tale of the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the revolutionary device that first combined a computer with a phone all in one, is at once wonderfully funny, suspenseful and ultimately tragic. Here is a business story that has it all, and has much in common with other movies that focus on iconic tales of new-age businesses like The Social Network, Moneyball and The Big Short. Those movies had...
Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? I am here to tell you today’s world premiere Berlin Film Festival competition entry BlackBerry is all that and more.
In the hands of co-writer (with Matthew Miller), director and co-star Matt Johnson (The Dirties), this long and winding tale of the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the revolutionary device that first combined a computer with a phone all in one, is at once wonderfully funny, suspenseful and ultimately tragic. Here is a business story that has it all, and has much in common with other movies that focus on iconic tales of new-age businesses like The Social Network, Moneyball and The Big Short. Those movies had...
- 5/12/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Hmmm, I wonder if this new release completes a “movie hat trick”? Now, that’s because it’s the third film this year to center around the creation of a popular product from the not-too-distant past. First out of the gate was the surprisingly effective Tetris, the tale of the popular computer/video game, from AppleTV+. It was soon topped by Amazon’s Air, the all-star story of Nike’s pursuit of rookie NBA phenom Michael Jordan and the best-selling shoe baring his name. Jump ahead to now (and 12 years in the movie timeline) and IFC brings us a “docu-dramedy” all about a communications device that became the hot “it” gizmo, but is now almost a blip in the “hand-held” history. And rather than being referred to by a litany of letters and numbers, this combo of soft and hardware went by the fruit-based moniker of Blackberry.
Its “origin” story design begins with its creator,...
Its “origin” story design begins with its creator,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
BlackBerryPhoto: IFC Films
Technology delivers all types of incredible societal advances. But the mad-dash nature of Western capitalism and the emotional fitfulness of the consumer marketplace also creates graveyards of arriviste empires—faddish companies with a product or service that intersects heavily with a particular moment in time, but ends...
Technology delivers all types of incredible societal advances. But the mad-dash nature of Western capitalism and the emotional fitfulness of the consumer marketplace also creates graveyards of arriviste empires—faddish companies with a product or service that intersects heavily with a particular moment in time, but ends...
- 5/9/2023
- by Brent Simon
- avclub.com
Austin, TX – Remember the term “CrackBerry”? It described the addicts of the earliest multi-function smartphone, the BlackBerry. In the days before the iPhone, it was the BlackBerry that held the mobile communication crown. The fascinating story of extreme success and monumental miscalculation is all encompassing.
“BlackBerry” is a 2023 Canadian biopic film about the history of the BlackBerry line of mobile phones. The screenwriter and director is Matt Johnson (also in a featured role), which was adapted from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry.” The film will be released by IFC films in May of 2023.
Glenn Howerton in “BlackBerry”
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Capsule Review: This film rises and falls through the superior performance of Jay Baruchel (“She’s Out of My League”), who takes the nerd tech guy to another level. Otherwise its a tremendous life lesson,...
“BlackBerry” is a 2023 Canadian biopic film about the history of the BlackBerry line of mobile phones. The screenwriter and director is Matt Johnson (also in a featured role), which was adapted from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry.” The film will be released by IFC films in May of 2023.
Glenn Howerton in “BlackBerry”
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Capsule Review: This film rises and falls through the superior performance of Jay Baruchel (“She’s Out of My League”), who takes the nerd tech guy to another level. Otherwise its a tremendous life lesson,...
- 3/27/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The so-called “crackberry” is back.
IFC Films has released the first official trailer for the upcoming comedy-drama film, “BlackBerry,” which provides a peek into exactly how the handheld device revolutionized the cell phone industry.
Director Matt Johnson, along with co-screenwriter Matthew Miller, adapted Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the big screen.
Johnson plays BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin in the film, alongside Glenn Howerton as chair and co-ceo Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as co-founder Mike Lazaridis and Cary Elwes as Palm CEO Carl Yankowski. The cast also includes Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, Michelle Giroux, Mark Critch and SungWon Cho.
The trailer gives a first look at Johnson and Baruchel as Doug and Mike, who discover an untapped wireless signal in North America which leads them to developing the first-ever mobile device...
IFC Films has released the first official trailer for the upcoming comedy-drama film, “BlackBerry,” which provides a peek into exactly how the handheld device revolutionized the cell phone industry.
Director Matt Johnson, along with co-screenwriter Matthew Miller, adapted Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the big screen.
Johnson plays BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin in the film, alongside Glenn Howerton as chair and co-ceo Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as co-founder Mike Lazaridis and Cary Elwes as Palm CEO Carl Yankowski. The cast also includes Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, Michelle Giroux, Mark Critch and SungWon Cho.
The trailer gives a first look at Johnson and Baruchel as Doug and Mike, who discover an untapped wireless signal in North America which leads them to developing the first-ever mobile device...
- 3/15/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
An epic rise and fall for a once-ubiquitous mobile device is chronicled in the first trailer for IFC Films’ BlackBerry.
The fact-based feature from director Matt Johnson stars Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, and Glenn Howerton as the company’s former co-ceo Jim Balsillie. The trailer shows immediate tension between the pair, with Lazaridis being warned before agreeing to work with Balsillie that he is a shark.
The footage includes Howerton telling Baruchel, “I know how to market it, and I know who we can sell it to, but I want 50 percent of the company, and I’ve got to be CEO.” Surprisingly, Baruchel’s character is good with this arrangement.
Later, Howerton’s Balsillie says, “We are in a race to get this thing to market, and we are a year behind — I need a prototype.”
Another pivotal scene shows Lazaridis, played by Baruchel,...
The fact-based feature from director Matt Johnson stars Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, and Glenn Howerton as the company’s former co-ceo Jim Balsillie. The trailer shows immediate tension between the pair, with Lazaridis being warned before agreeing to work with Balsillie that he is a shark.
The footage includes Howerton telling Baruchel, “I know how to market it, and I know who we can sell it to, but I want 50 percent of the company, and I’ve got to be CEO.” Surprisingly, Baruchel’s character is good with this arrangement.
Later, Howerton’s Balsillie says, “We are in a race to get this thing to market, and we are a year behind — I need a prototype.”
Another pivotal scene shows Lazaridis, played by Baruchel,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Once upon a time, BlackBerry was king, but it came crashing down just as quickly as it rose. IFC Films have released the first trailer for BlackBerry, a comedy drama starring Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton as the two men responsible for the launch of the smartphone.
BlackBerry was directed by Matt Johnson (Operation Avalanche), who also penned the screenplay with Matthew Miller (Nirvana The Band The Show). The film is based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s best-selling nonfiction book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry. The film tells “The true story of the meteoric rise & catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone, BlackBerry is a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds.“
Related BlackBerry: Glenn Howerton loses his glorious locks to play CEO Jim Balsillie
My first smartphone was a BlackBerry and I loved that thing,...
BlackBerry was directed by Matt Johnson (Operation Avalanche), who also penned the screenplay with Matthew Miller (Nirvana The Band The Show). The film is based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s best-selling nonfiction book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry. The film tells “The true story of the meteoric rise & catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone, BlackBerry is a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds.“
Related BlackBerry: Glenn Howerton loses his glorious locks to play CEO Jim Balsillie
My first smartphone was a BlackBerry and I loved that thing,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Imagine if sociopathic maniac Dennis from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” was the CEO of a tech company, and also was bald. That’s a piece of the (excellent) premise of “BlackBerry,” a comedy about the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. The film got its first trailer today.
“BlackBerry” is a stranger-than-fiction tech industry schadenfreude comedy in the vein of “The Dropout” and “Super Pumped.” It stars Jay Baruchel in a gray wig as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of Research in Motion, the company that developed BlackBerry’s technology, and the aforementioned bald Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, Lazaridis’ co-ceo who oversaw the business side of things. The cast also Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer (who in the trailer delivers the line “They call them CrackBerries” in the exact way his “Mad Men” character Harry Crane would say it if he was in business...
“BlackBerry” is a stranger-than-fiction tech industry schadenfreude comedy in the vein of “The Dropout” and “Super Pumped.” It stars Jay Baruchel in a gray wig as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of Research in Motion, the company that developed BlackBerry’s technology, and the aforementioned bald Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, Lazaridis’ co-ceo who oversaw the business side of things. The cast also Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer (who in the trailer delivers the line “They call them CrackBerries” in the exact way his “Mad Men” character Harry Crane would say it if he was in business...
- 3/15/2023
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Once upon a time, in ye olde 1996, people didn't really take their phones everywhere with them. In fact, if you had a cellular phone, it was a massive brick without a screen, more like a glorified walkie-talkie than a real phone. There was a cellular network in place, but technology for the phones just wasn't totally there yet. Then along came Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who developed the first smartphone, the BlackBerry, and forever changed how we communicate. The story behind the BlackBerry is just as interesting and full of colorful characters as "The Social Network" and that film's take on Facebook and creator Mark Zuckerberg, and now audiences will finally get a chance to know that tale.
"BlackBerry," starring Jay Baruchel as the tech-oriented and more sheepish Lazaridis and Glenn Howerton as cutthroat businessman Balsillie, will tell the story with comedic flair, based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff...
"BlackBerry," starring Jay Baruchel as the tech-oriented and more sheepish Lazaridis and Glenn Howerton as cutthroat businessman Balsillie, will tell the story with comedic flair, based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff...
- 3/15/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Following his 2016 feature Operation Avalanche and re-launching Nirvana the Band the Show in 2016, director Matt Johnson returns with BlackBerry. The film, co-written by Johnson and longtime producing partner Matthew Miller, was adapted from the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff. The film’s short synopsis reads: BlackBerry tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton star as Lazaridis and […]
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 3/15/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Following his 2016 feature Operation Avalanche and re-launching Nirvana the Band the Show in 2016, director Matt Johnson returns with BlackBerry. The film, co-written by Johnson and longtime producing partner Matthew Miller, was adapted from the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff. The film’s short synopsis reads: BlackBerry tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton star as Lazaridis and […]
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 3/15/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The new trailer for “BlackBerry” tells the tale of the nostalgic phone invented in Waterloo, Ontario, that revolutionized the world and the story of the two men who brought its tech domination to fruition before its eventual demise.
Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) are the two young inventors who scramble to make the once-beloved phone a staple in the tech industry.
“Okay, picture a cellphone and an email machine all in one thing,” Balsillie excitedly proposes to businessman Carl Yankowski (Cary Elwes). “There is a free, wireless Internet signal all across North America, and nobody has figured out how to use it.”
“It’s like the force,” he further excites Yankowski. “Sorry, have you seen ‘Star Wars’?” Yankowski responds with: “No.”
Read More: ‘The Bear’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer Is Bringing Some Big Changes
“BlackBerry” was directed by Toronto’s Matt Johnson (of “Nirvanna the Band the Show...
Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) are the two young inventors who scramble to make the once-beloved phone a staple in the tech industry.
“Okay, picture a cellphone and an email machine all in one thing,” Balsillie excitedly proposes to businessman Carl Yankowski (Cary Elwes). “There is a free, wireless Internet signal all across North America, and nobody has figured out how to use it.”
“It’s like the force,” he further excites Yankowski. “Sorry, have you seen ‘Star Wars’?” Yankowski responds with: “No.”
Read More: ‘The Bear’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer Is Bringing Some Big Changes
“BlackBerry” was directed by Toronto’s Matt Johnson (of “Nirvanna the Band the Show...
- 3/15/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
You’ve heard of “ripped from the headlines.” What about “swiped from store shelves”? Ahead of the April 5 release of the Air Jordans movie, Air, this year’s SXSW film festival is filled with features similarly inspired by beloved brands and the people behind them, in which CEOs are supporting cast and intellectual property battles are edge-of-your seat stuff. From snacks to cellphones, here are the consumer products making their ways to the screen.
BlackBerry
Based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal, BlackBerry stars Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton and traces the rise and steep decline of the now-bygone Canadian proto-smartphone, which flourished in the liminal space between flip phones and the iPhone.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Created in 1974, the role-playing fantasy board game was long considered impossible to adapt, given its lack of a central storyline. Warner Bros. and Universal have both taken stabs.
BlackBerry
Based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal, BlackBerry stars Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton and traces the rise and steep decline of the now-bygone Canadian proto-smartphone, which flourished in the liminal space between flip phones and the iPhone.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Created in 1974, the role-playing fantasy board game was long considered impossible to adapt, given its lack of a central storyline. Warner Bros. and Universal have both taken stabs.
- 3/9/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For a hot minute, it looked like BlackBerry might control the smartphone market. They got there first, figuring out how to use the existing data network to put email in users’ hands. Sure, it all came packaged in a device as thick and unwieldy as a slice of French toast — too big for most people’s pockets, not at all comfortable to hold up to one’s ear. Still, Canada-based electronics company Research in Motion revolutionized how mobile phones worked and what they could do, making billionaires of its co-founders. So what happened?
Frantic, irreverent and endearingly scrappy, “BlackBerry” spins comedy from the seat-of-their-pants launch and subsequent flame-out of “that phone that people had before they bought an iPhone,” as one character puts it. Directed by Matt Johnson — the renegade mock-doc helmer responsible for 2013 Slamdance winner “The Dirties” and moon-landing hoax “Project Avalanche” — from a script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator Matthew Miller,...
Frantic, irreverent and endearingly scrappy, “BlackBerry” spins comedy from the seat-of-their-pants launch and subsequent flame-out of “that phone that people had before they bought an iPhone,” as one character puts it. Directed by Matt Johnson — the renegade mock-doc helmer responsible for 2013 Slamdance winner “The Dirties” and moon-landing hoax “Project Avalanche” — from a script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator Matthew Miller,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
It seems like a lifetime ago that the millions of us who spent the early 2000s thumbing away on our BlackBerry smartphones swore those beloved devices would have to be torn from our cold, dead hands before we’d surrender them. The very idea of a cellphone without a trackpad or keyboard seemed like heresy, and for many of us, our introduction to iPhones or other suspiciously sleek Android models was a traumatic transition, making our fingers feel like those clumsy hot dog hands in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Resistance was so strong that even in 2010, three years after the first iPhone launch, BlackBerry still led the global smartphone market with 43 percent. But times change, previously indispensable tech tools get shoved to the back of a desk drawer and shiny touch-screen communication devices now make their hardware-heavy predecessors seem as primitive as wheezing dial-up modems.
Matt Johnson’s uneven...
Resistance was so strong that even in 2010, three years after the first iPhone launch, BlackBerry still led the global smartphone market with 43 percent. But times change, previously indispensable tech tools get shoved to the back of a desk drawer and shiny touch-screen communication devices now make their hardware-heavy predecessors seem as primitive as wheezing dial-up modems.
Matt Johnson’s uneven...
- 2/17/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Few objects hold a bigger sway over contemporary life than the smartphone. Now, the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the world’s first smartphone, gets the big screen treatment. “BlackBerry,” Matt Johnson‘s latest, has its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival today.
Read More: Berlin 2023: New Films From Sean Penn, Jesse Eisenberg & More Announced
Johnson and Matthew Miller adapt Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff‘s 2015 bestseller “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the new docudrama.
Continue reading ‘BlackBerry’ Poster: Matt Johnson’s Docudrama About The Rise & Fall Of The World’s First Smartphone [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
Read More: Berlin 2023: New Films From Sean Penn, Jesse Eisenberg & More Announced
Johnson and Matthew Miller adapt Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff‘s 2015 bestseller “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the new docudrama.
Continue reading ‘BlackBerry’ Poster: Matt Johnson’s Docudrama About The Rise & Fall Of The World’s First Smartphone [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
- 2/17/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
After breaking into NASA to make his last movie, “Operation Avalanche,” one would think that “BlackBerry” — a film that, on paper, sounds like a standard book adaptation about a Canadian boom-and-bust story — would be a walk in the park for Matt Johnson.
For anyone else, it might have been. But short-cuts don’t compute for the Toronto-based helmer. His outright rejection of Hollywood’s camera tricks in place of a wild do-it-yourself approach has made him one of the most radical new voices emerging from Canada.
In “BlackBerry,” which world premieres on Friday, Johnson tackles the story of one of Canada’s greatest modern inventions, the BlackBerry mobile phone — tracing its spectacular ascent into a global phenomenon that brought email to users’ fingertips, to its tragic downfall in the wake of corporate mismanagement and the dawn of Apple’s iPhone.
“It’s an odd couple, that’s for sure,” Johnson admits.
For anyone else, it might have been. But short-cuts don’t compute for the Toronto-based helmer. His outright rejection of Hollywood’s camera tricks in place of a wild do-it-yourself approach has made him one of the most radical new voices emerging from Canada.
In “BlackBerry,” which world premieres on Friday, Johnson tackles the story of one of Canada’s greatest modern inventions, the BlackBerry mobile phone — tracing its spectacular ascent into a global phenomenon that brought email to users’ fingertips, to its tragic downfall in the wake of corporate mismanagement and the dawn of Apple’s iPhone.
“It’s an odd couple, that’s for sure,” Johnson admits.
- 2/17/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount Global Content Distribution really loves its BlackBerry.
The studio has picked up the new comedy from Matt Johnson, on the rise and fall of the eponymous Canadian smartphone company, for most of the world.
Jay Baruchel stars in BlackBerry alongside an ensemble cast including Glenn Howerton, Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Rich Sommer, Martin Donovan, Michael Ironside and Johnson. The film will have its world premiere in competition at the Berlin FIlm Festival on Friday.
Paramount will roll out BlackBerry worldwide outside the U.S., where IFC Films is releasing, and a handful of other territories. XYZ Films, which co-financed the movie and handled international rights, inked the deal with the studio on the eve of Berlin’s European Film Market. XYZ also closed deals for the film with Falcon Films for the Middle East, NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia and Pasatiempo Pictures for Cis.
It is unclear whether Paramount is...
The studio has picked up the new comedy from Matt Johnson, on the rise and fall of the eponymous Canadian smartphone company, for most of the world.
Jay Baruchel stars in BlackBerry alongside an ensemble cast including Glenn Howerton, Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Rich Sommer, Martin Donovan, Michael Ironside and Johnson. The film will have its world premiere in competition at the Berlin FIlm Festival on Friday.
Paramount will roll out BlackBerry worldwide outside the U.S., where IFC Films is releasing, and a handful of other territories. XYZ Films, which co-financed the movie and handled international rights, inked the deal with the studio on the eve of Berlin’s European Film Market. XYZ also closed deals for the film with Falcon Films for the Middle East, NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia and Pasatiempo Pictures for Cis.
It is unclear whether Paramount is...
- 2/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount acquires bulk of international rights to Berlin competition entry ‘BlackBerry’ (exclusive)
Additional rights sell for Middle East, Scandinavia, airlines on eve of world premiere. IFC Films to distribute in US.
In a major swoop on a competition title by a US studio Paramount Global Content Distribution has acquired all international rights outside select territories to Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry.
Co-financier XYZ Films brokered the deal heading into Friday’s world premiere and has additionally struck a raft of individual territory sales on the story about the rise and catastrophic fall of the BlackBerry smartphone.
IFC Films will release in the US this year and Elevation Pictures will distribute in Canada. Additional...
In a major swoop on a competition title by a US studio Paramount Global Content Distribution has acquired all international rights outside select territories to Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry.
Co-financier XYZ Films brokered the deal heading into Friday’s world premiere and has additionally struck a raft of individual territory sales on the story about the rise and catastrophic fall of the BlackBerry smartphone.
IFC Films will release in the US this year and Elevation Pictures will distribute in Canada. Additional...
- 2/16/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Developed by Canadian company Research in Motion, the BlackBerry was one of the most popular smartphones on the market in the early 2000s. Elevation Pictures will be bringing the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the Blackberry in a new movie starring Jay Baruchel (This Is the End), Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning).
The BlackBerry movie doesn’t have an official release date just yet, but a press release from Elevation Pictures detailing their upcoming releases says that the film will be released in spring 2023. You can check out a first-look image of the movie below.
BlackBerry was directed by Matt Johnson (Operation Avalanche), who also penned the screenplay with Matthew Miller (Nirvana The Band The Show). The film is based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s best-selling nonfiction book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind...
The BlackBerry movie doesn’t have an official release date just yet, but a press release from Elevation Pictures detailing their upcoming releases says that the film will be released in spring 2023. You can check out a first-look image of the movie below.
BlackBerry was directed by Matt Johnson (Operation Avalanche), who also penned the screenplay with Matthew Miller (Nirvana The Band The Show). The film is based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s best-selling nonfiction book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind...
- 1/13/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
A movie from ‘The Dirties’ and ‘Operation Avalanche’ director Matt Johnson titled ‘BlackBerry’, is set to detail the rise and fall of the BlackBerry device, which was the world’s first smartphone and ruled the market before the iPhone and Androids came into the picture, reports ‘Variety’.
The film has wrapped up its production.
The brand witnessed a meteoric rise in the early 2000s only to meet a catastrophic demise.
The Canadian parent company of BlackBerry – Research in Motion floundered in legal disputes and eventually lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple and Samsung.
According to ‘Variety’, at the heart of the story is the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.
The film’s cast is led by Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton. Though it’s not yet confirmed, it’s likely, they will play the firm’s founders.
Other cast members include Cary Elwes,...
The film has wrapped up its production.
The brand witnessed a meteoric rise in the early 2000s only to meet a catastrophic demise.
The Canadian parent company of BlackBerry – Research in Motion floundered in legal disputes and eventually lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple and Samsung.
According to ‘Variety’, at the heart of the story is the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.
The film’s cast is led by Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton. Though it’s not yet confirmed, it’s likely, they will play the firm’s founders.
Other cast members include Cary Elwes,...
- 8/24/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Before the iPhone, there was the mighty BlackBerry — the world’s first smartphone, which enjoyed a meteoric rise in the early 2000s only to meet a catastrophic demise.
A new movie from “The Dirties” and “Operation Avalanche” director Matt Johnson, simply entitled “BlackBerry,” will detail the rise and fall of the once-ubiquitous device as its Canadian parent company Research in Motion floundered in legal disputes and eventually lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple and Samsung. At the heart of the story is the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.
The film’s cast is led by Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton. Though it’s not yet confirmed, it’s likely they will play the firm’s founders.
Other cast members include Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Rich Sommer, Martin Donovan, Michael Ironside and Johnson.
Johnson and Miller adapted the screenplay from the bestselling 2015 book “Losing...
A new movie from “The Dirties” and “Operation Avalanche” director Matt Johnson, simply entitled “BlackBerry,” will detail the rise and fall of the once-ubiquitous device as its Canadian parent company Research in Motion floundered in legal disputes and eventually lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple and Samsung. At the heart of the story is the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.
The film’s cast is led by Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton. Though it’s not yet confirmed, it’s likely they will play the firm’s founders.
Other cast members include Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Rich Sommer, Martin Donovan, Michael Ironside and Johnson.
Johnson and Miller adapted the screenplay from the bestselling 2015 book “Losing...
- 8/23/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
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